AnandaMargaVillagePrimarySchoolsAnandaNagar,PuruliaDistrict,West

Bengal,India

Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha (AMPS) is currently running 18 schools in Ananda Nagar, Purulia District, West Bengal, India. All of those activities and schools are run by Ananda Marga for the service and benefit of the general population in Purulia District and are fully funded by the organization and public. There are no school fees that the parents have to pay. There is need for a monthly support for the allowances of the teachers and other costs of the schools and there is also a strong need for improving the teaching facilities. Some of the school buildings are also not fully completed and need additional funds for completion.

Regular expenses. Monthly around $23 USD (1500 INR) per teacher per month plus office expenses and monthly meeting expenses.

Cultural and Educational Program Expenses: For festivals, camps and trainings.

Development Expenses: For infrastructure such as renovation and completion of existing buildings, addition to existing buildings, tables, chairs, and other school materials

The target of this fundraiser at Sevathon 2017 is to raise $30,000 for infrastructure improvements and $5,000 for the projects yearly expenses for teacher allowances and school programs.

Purulia District is an undeveloped, extremely poor area of West Bengal where most of the population survives on agriculture. The winter season is extremely dry and the farmers can only harvest one crop per year due to lack of irrigation faclities.

The founder of Ananda Marga, Shrii Shrii Anandamurtii had the vision to elevate the educational status and improve the standard of living through a comprehensive system of education.

Since the 1960’s the Ananda Nagar Project has provided primary schools and high schools for the local people and these continue to provide quality education to this day. There are also several children’s homes and medical initiatives such as a hospital and an acupuncture clinic which provide free medical support to the local residents.

There is a strong need for education in the small villages of Purulia. There are Government run public schools but not enough for all the children in the area. Population is very scattered and the villagers and farmers appreciate the service of the Ananda Marga schools that provide higher standard of education than is normally available. The Ananda Marga schools are in Bengali and English medium. The local language is Bengali and there are also local dialects that have no script on their own. The children are of ages 3 to 12 years old. They learn basic literacy, writing in Bengali and English, mathematics, drawing and visual arts. The older children learn chemistry, biology and all the general subjects that are taught in the public school system.

The Purulia district has a very ancient culture and many cultural treasures have been preserved by the villagers, especially in the field of dance and song. Ananda Marga encourages them to respect their own culture by including education of dance and singing in all the schools. In addition to the general subjects the children also learn meditation, kiirtana, Prabhata Samgiita, Ravindra Samgiita, and other devotional songs. They also learn Indian patriotic songs (performed on the National Day of India), rhymes and various other songs. All the schools include some form of dance to varying degree. Twice or thrice a year the children from all the Ananda Marga schools in Purulia district come together and perform at Cultural Programs held in Central Ananda Nagar jagrti for the children and their parents. The best performances are selected to perform at the Dharma Maha Sammelan festivals that draw thousands of devotees every year to visit Ananda Nagar. In addition to these we have plans to start smaller cultural programs that will be held in the village of that particular school.

Games and sports are also included in the daily routine of the children. The children and their teachers also participate in STUVOL (Student Volunteer) camps once in a year. During the STUVOL camps the children enjoy five days of games, sport competitions, moral lessons, general smartness and general knowledge, practical knowledge and skills and Sanskrit slokas (from the Vedas and Upanishads.) There will be examinations during the STUVOL camps to ensure that children have achieved the required knowledge during the school year.

Ananda Marga Village Primary SchoolAnanda Nagar

Annual Program List -2017

1. Monthly Teachers Meeting

2. Republic Day Celebration (26th January)

3. Independence day Celebration (15th August)

4. Prabhata Samgiita Divas Celebration (14th September)

5. Kirtan Divas Celebration (8th October)

6. Annual Cultural Program, Game & Sport

7. Stu-Vol Camp Yearly

8. Education Training for teachers twice a year

9. Yearly/ Occasionally Teachers & Student gift.

Last year Conducted Program List in 2016

1. Monthly Teachers Meeting

2. Republic Day Celebration (26th January)

3. Independence Day Celebration (15th August)

4. Prabhata Samgiita Divas Celebration (14th September)

5. Kirtan Divas Celebration (8th October)

6. Annual Cultural Program, Game & Sports

7. Stu-Vol Camp Yearly

8. Shoes & Notebook distribution Programme

9. Plantation Programme

10. Education Training for teachers twice a year

11. Yearly/Occasionally Teachers & Student gift.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Hathinada

There are currently three teachers and 60 students. The building needs roof, doors, windows, plaster, painting, and furnishing in order to be completed. The students need uniforms. This is 5 km. away from Central Ananda Nagar towards Pundag. Established in 2005. This school is growing fast and the students have doubled since last year.

Akhanda Kiirtana organized at Hathinada School: The parents and children enjoy singing together kiirtana followed by meditation.

After the meditation everyone is served vegetarian meal.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Marlang

Marlang School Building Construction, April 2016

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Photo below: Marlang Village School before the construction of the school building

Marlang Village School May 2017. The second floor is under construction and there is plan to build a second building at the right side of this one.

These photos above show how the school started out in the open air. Ac. Ratnadiipananda Avt. was teaching the children. This year a second floor has been started and there is plan for extending the school.

This is Marlang Village Primary School with two teachers and 54 students run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, 15 km away from Central Ananda Nagar towards Jhalida. There is need of buying more land, building and furniture. The school was established in year 2013.

This school is part of a bigger project called Asiimananda Dihi that is an agricultural research center. The school is localted in the tribal area and is 15 minutes walk from the nearest road. The area surrounding the school is all agricultural area and the students come from villages and farms in the area. Here our plan is to have a good hostel where some children that are living far away can stay at the hostel.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Matrigeho, Sarajumahatu

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Photo below: Avtk. Ananda Puspanjali Ac.

and children of the children home

This is Matrigeho, Sarajumahatu Village Primary School. Avadhutika Ananda Puspanjali Acarya is the principal of the school. The school is also a hostel and children home (orphanage.) The school has 57 students and three teacher and is 7 km south from Central Ananda Nagar towards Kotashila.

The school is associated with the Music College and the children are taught Indian classical dance and Indian classical singing. The principal of the Music College is Avadhutika Ananda Gayatri Acarya. The children often perform dance and singing at Ananda Marga functions such as the Dharma Maha Sammelan in front of thousands of people.

There is need of furniture, music instruments. The number of students is increasing every year and there are plans to construct a new school building

for classes. The school has a dairy farm and provides the children in the children that live in the hostel nutritious vegetarian meals. The school also has its own orchard and provides the children with good quality organic seasonal fruits such as mango and bel fruit.

Ananda Marga Village Post Primary School, Chitmu,

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This is Chitmu Village Post Primary School, 57 students and three teachers and one non-teaching staff. There is need of repairing, painting, & furniture. The students have increased from 32 students last year to 57 this year. Accordingly there is need to build an additional building for classrooms.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, R.K.K (Rarh Kala Kendra)

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This is a Village Primary School R.K.K., 30 students and two teacher.

Purulia District was a part of the ancient geographic area Rarh. Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji explained the history of Rarh and gave the special term Rarh Kala Kendra for the cultural revival of the area.

There is need of Repairing and furniture.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Khatanga

This is Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Khatanga. There are 31 students and two teachers, own building, 7 km south from Central Ananda Nagar. We need furniture and repairing.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Kaosikii

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Koushikii is run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, 9 km. away from Central Ananda Nagar. There are 46 students & two teachers.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Banshgarh

Ananda Marga Village Primary School in Banshgarh was established on 20th January 2014 by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha. It is 7 km. away from Central Ananda. There are 59 students & two teachers. There is need of repairing, painting & furniture.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Barametyala

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Barametyala Run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, 7 km. away from Central Ananda Nagar. There are 20 students & two teachers. There is need repairing, painting & furniture.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Chitmu-2

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This picture is taken during the Ananda Marga Service Tour organized by Ananda Marga in Taiwan in year 2013. The member of Ananda Marga in Taiwan have been sponsoring the Ananda Nagar schools for many years and came for a visit serving the children.

The Ananda Marga Village Primary School in Chitmu-2 is run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, 3 km. away from Central Ananda Nagar. There are 43 students & two teachers. There is need of repairing, painting, furniture and one more teacher. Since these photos were taken, the school has shifted to a new building in the same village.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Gurrabazar.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Gurrabazar is run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, 3 km. away from Central Ananda Nagar. There are 46 students & two teachers. There is need repairing & furniture. There is a plan to construct more classrooms.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Bansgorh-2

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Bansgorh. Run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha, 6 km. away from Central Ananda Nagar. There are 32 students & two teachers. There is need repairing, painting & furniture.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School Malka

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Malka. Run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgh, 6 km. away from Central Ananda. There are 25 students & two ladies teachers. There is need repairing & furniture.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Natunrola.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Natunrola, Run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgh, 11 km. away from Central Ananda. There is need of land . There are 31 students & two teachers .

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Hinjory.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School, Hinjory is run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgh km away from Central Ananda. There is need of land. There are 46 students & two teachers .

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Khergora.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School,Khergora Run by Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgh, 4 km. away from Central Ananda. There are 30 students & two teachers .There is need repairing & furnitures.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School. Chirkamu.

AnandaMargaVillagePrimarySchool,Chirkam,RunbyAnandaMargaPracarakaSamgh,3km.awayfromCentralAnanda.Thereare36students&twoteachers.Thereisneedrepairing,&furnitures.

Ananda Marga Village Primary School in Sulunglahar

AnandaMargaVillagePrimarySchoolinSulunglaharisrunbyAnandaMarga(AMPS)andis5kmawayfromCentralAnandaNagar.Thereare35studentsandtwoteachers.Thereisneedtorepair,paintandbuyfurniturefortheschool.